11/8/ 2013:
Sitting in a quiet hospital room, I am high on endorphins and oxytocin. It seems somewhat surreal.
I want to get it down in writing while it is all fresh. So here it is: Owen's Birth Story:
Last evening, we dropped Haley off at my mom's, an only child for the last time. I had a rush of emotions that I couldn't comprehend. From there, Ian and I headed home to pack our things and head to the induction. An induction I was not entirely happy for. I wanted to know what it was like to go into labor on my own, a reality I may never be able to experience.
We got to the hospital and took care of business. Cervidil was inserted, and I spent the night tossing and turning. Sleep completely evaded me and I experienced complete relief when the nurse arrived at 6 a.m. to say it was time to get rolling.
After getting around, we started Pitocin around 7 ish, I had contractions but couldn't feel any pain (just the way I like). By 9, the doctor came in to break my water and that was when the fun began.
From 9 to 10 I was able to breath through the contractions. They were coming every 2 and a half minutes and the pain lasted about 45 seconds. By ten o'clock, the pain changed.
Around 10, my nurse and I discussed my thoughts on the Epidural. I was hoping to hold out and I decided that I would wait until we reached the max Pitocin and get checked to see how dilated I was. I told Ian if I was 4cm or less, I was going for the epi, if I was 5cm or above I was going for it.
And then a contraction hit....and I was no longer able to simply breath through it. And then another one hit. And another one. At this point, I was hmmmmmming....and ahhhhhhhhhiiinnngggg......and breathing. Oddly, I found some noises helped with the pain better than the others.
By 10:30, I had yet to be checked and wanted my epi ten minutes ago. My nurse had to step out to deliver another baby, so I called for a nurse--any nurse and said I was ready for the epi. I had not yet got all the fluids I needed so they started me on a bag of IVs and said that they would get the epi lined up.
I had wanted to experience birth without an epi. But at this point--the unknowns had gotten the best of me. I had no idea how much more intense the pain could get and how long I had to endure. I think that of all things got me to cave.
Time ticked by. I watched my IV fluids drain into my veins and continued to work through each contraction. At this point, each one--worse than the one before. You know it is strange though....to go from such amount of pain and then your body just relaxes. But still, the breaks between were not enough time to talk myself out of the epi.
Time became a blur at this point. I called again for the nurse and told her I was having A LOT of pressure. To be honest, I started to feel panicked. The epi was taking longer than I thought to come, and I felt like I had to POOP! That is the only way to describe it. Each contraction, I kept thinking, if only I could poop, I would feel so much better. I expressed to my nurse my panic and she decided to go ahead and check me ( for the first time since they broke my water.)
7 CM....ish. She was guessing. One side of my cervix, she could still feel and the other, not so much. So she said she would get a rush on that epi and left the room. Next thing I knew, I was watching medical equipment roll in and I asked if it was for my epi. No one really wanted to answer that this baby may beat the epi.
Finally, as I began to realize that reality I asked the nurse point blank, when is this baby coming. How fast? Because I would be willing to call off the epi. She said, could be ten minutes could be an hour. At that moment, the epi pro walked in. We spoke for just a few minutes as I started to go through each contraction in panic. I believe I was cussing. All I knew was that they were going to stick a needle in my back and I was in the worst pain I had ever experienced. As the was placing the epi I called out to the room that the baby......was coming NOW....and some other jibberish about how I HAD to PUSH---I couldn't help it.
By the next contraction, seconds later, they were trying to get my legs up as the doctor checked and gave me the yellow light. My body was certainly ready to deliver the baby, I just needed to wait for the medical staff. The very next contraction I was pushing, but I wasn't focused and had no idea what to do. I felt so much pressure and stretching. When I had a few seconds to rest, the nurse gave me directions on how to work through the next contraction. Before I could fully comprehend, I had another contraction and I was pushing. Two good pushes, and I could feel it was almost over. A few seconds of rest and I could feel the doctor make a cut for the episotomy. And then the final contraction hit, and I brought our son into the world. It was amazing. All the pressure, all the pain---everything just ceased. And he was here and healthy. Slowly the tardy epi began to take over and I could no longer feel from my waist down. But I actually didn't mind at this point because it allowed for the doctor to do stitches and take care of the afterbirth--without my noticing.
So far, Owen is doing great. He nursed beautifully right away, but his second feeding was a a little difficult. It was between his 4 FOUR bowel movements and some spitting up up fluids, so he wasn't really feeling up to eating, but we are going to keep working and make this work for us.
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11/10/2013
I am waiting to be discharged. Ian went to lunch with Haley and Owen is off being monitored before they give him a circumcision. Yesterday had it's ups and downs, but I am feeling amazingly better today. Yesterday, I think all the excitement had worn off and the pain settled in. My episotomy was starting to hurt like a mother, and the after birth contractions were painful. I even found myself needing to breath through nursing from time to time (evidently this is something that happens with second children but rarely first because I didn't experience this with Haley). However, they are doing their job because all the doctors and nurses have commented on how nicely and quickly my uterus is shrinking up.
Now what you are really wanting to know. Owen. He is doing fabulous. He is in hibernation mode. Basically all he has done is eat and sleep. Nursing is going okay. I feel a little unsettled in that it is so vastly different then with Haley. Haley wanted to nurse constantly. Owen nurses about every 3 hours and it takes a lot of effort to wake him up and get him to latch. Not bad, just way different. (I promise I won't constantly compare my two kids. Every child is vastly different. I suppose it is only natural at first--)
We can't forget Haley. Her and her daddy have been having a blast together. I am thankful to them and their relationship. Ian is such a good daddy and I think it has helped her having him take such good care of her. When she is at the hospital with us, she seems somewhat interested in the baby--but not overly. Sometimes she is aloof towards me and sometimes she will come visit with me and color. It is going to take some time, but I am sure she will come to love and adore the idea of having a younger sibling.
And that pretty much sums up where we are right now.--that or I have smelt my lunch long enough that I would rather eat than type.....
Photo update to come soon.....
( :
Thank you for all the kind support and prayers. We have an amazing support system which makes these transitional times in our lives so much easier.
Sitting in a quiet hospital room, I am high on endorphins and oxytocin. It seems somewhat surreal.
I want to get it down in writing while it is all fresh. So here it is: Owen's Birth Story:
Last evening, we dropped Haley off at my mom's, an only child for the last time. I had a rush of emotions that I couldn't comprehend. From there, Ian and I headed home to pack our things and head to the induction. An induction I was not entirely happy for. I wanted to know what it was like to go into labor on my own, a reality I may never be able to experience.
We got to the hospital and took care of business. Cervidil was inserted, and I spent the night tossing and turning. Sleep completely evaded me and I experienced complete relief when the nurse arrived at 6 a.m. to say it was time to get rolling.
After getting around, we started Pitocin around 7 ish, I had contractions but couldn't feel any pain (just the way I like). By 9, the doctor came in to break my water and that was when the fun began.
From 9 to 10 I was able to breath through the contractions. They were coming every 2 and a half minutes and the pain lasted about 45 seconds. By ten o'clock, the pain changed.
Around 10, my nurse and I discussed my thoughts on the Epidural. I was hoping to hold out and I decided that I would wait until we reached the max Pitocin and get checked to see how dilated I was. I told Ian if I was 4cm or less, I was going for the epi, if I was 5cm or above I was going for it.
And then a contraction hit....and I was no longer able to simply breath through it. And then another one hit. And another one. At this point, I was hmmmmmming....and ahhhhhhhhhiiinnngggg......and breathing. Oddly, I found some noises helped with the pain better than the others.
By 10:30, I had yet to be checked and wanted my epi ten minutes ago. My nurse had to step out to deliver another baby, so I called for a nurse--any nurse and said I was ready for the epi. I had not yet got all the fluids I needed so they started me on a bag of IVs and said that they would get the epi lined up.
I had wanted to experience birth without an epi. But at this point--the unknowns had gotten the best of me. I had no idea how much more intense the pain could get and how long I had to endure. I think that of all things got me to cave.
Time ticked by. I watched my IV fluids drain into my veins and continued to work through each contraction. At this point, each one--worse than the one before. You know it is strange though....to go from such amount of pain and then your body just relaxes. But still, the breaks between were not enough time to talk myself out of the epi.
Time became a blur at this point. I called again for the nurse and told her I was having A LOT of pressure. To be honest, I started to feel panicked. The epi was taking longer than I thought to come, and I felt like I had to POOP! That is the only way to describe it. Each contraction, I kept thinking, if only I could poop, I would feel so much better. I expressed to my nurse my panic and she decided to go ahead and check me ( for the first time since they broke my water.)
7 CM....ish. She was guessing. One side of my cervix, she could still feel and the other, not so much. So she said she would get a rush on that epi and left the room. Next thing I knew, I was watching medical equipment roll in and I asked if it was for my epi. No one really wanted to answer that this baby may beat the epi.
Finally, as I began to realize that reality I asked the nurse point blank, when is this baby coming. How fast? Because I would be willing to call off the epi. She said, could be ten minutes could be an hour. At that moment, the epi pro walked in. We spoke for just a few minutes as I started to go through each contraction in panic. I believe I was cussing. All I knew was that they were going to stick a needle in my back and I was in the worst pain I had ever experienced. As the was placing the epi I called out to the room that the baby......was coming NOW....and some other jibberish about how I HAD to PUSH---I couldn't help it.
By the next contraction, seconds later, they were trying to get my legs up as the doctor checked and gave me the yellow light. My body was certainly ready to deliver the baby, I just needed to wait for the medical staff. The very next contraction I was pushing, but I wasn't focused and had no idea what to do. I felt so much pressure and stretching. When I had a few seconds to rest, the nurse gave me directions on how to work through the next contraction. Before I could fully comprehend, I had another contraction and I was pushing. Two good pushes, and I could feel it was almost over. A few seconds of rest and I could feel the doctor make a cut for the episotomy. And then the final contraction hit, and I brought our son into the world. It was amazing. All the pressure, all the pain---everything just ceased. And he was here and healthy. Slowly the tardy epi began to take over and I could no longer feel from my waist down. But I actually didn't mind at this point because it allowed for the doctor to do stitches and take care of the afterbirth--without my noticing.
So far, Owen is doing great. He nursed beautifully right away, but his second feeding was a a little difficult. It was between his 4 FOUR bowel movements and some spitting up up fluids, so he wasn't really feeling up to eating, but we are going to keep working and make this work for us.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
11/10/2013
I am waiting to be discharged. Ian went to lunch with Haley and Owen is off being monitored before they give him a circumcision. Yesterday had it's ups and downs, but I am feeling amazingly better today. Yesterday, I think all the excitement had worn off and the pain settled in. My episotomy was starting to hurt like a mother, and the after birth contractions were painful. I even found myself needing to breath through nursing from time to time (evidently this is something that happens with second children but rarely first because I didn't experience this with Haley). However, they are doing their job because all the doctors and nurses have commented on how nicely and quickly my uterus is shrinking up.
Now what you are really wanting to know. Owen. He is doing fabulous. He is in hibernation mode. Basically all he has done is eat and sleep. Nursing is going okay. I feel a little unsettled in that it is so vastly different then with Haley. Haley wanted to nurse constantly. Owen nurses about every 3 hours and it takes a lot of effort to wake him up and get him to latch. Not bad, just way different. (I promise I won't constantly compare my two kids. Every child is vastly different. I suppose it is only natural at first--)
We can't forget Haley. Her and her daddy have been having a blast together. I am thankful to them and their relationship. Ian is such a good daddy and I think it has helped her having him take such good care of her. When she is at the hospital with us, she seems somewhat interested in the baby--but not overly. Sometimes she is aloof towards me and sometimes she will come visit with me and color. It is going to take some time, but I am sure she will come to love and adore the idea of having a younger sibling.
And that pretty much sums up where we are right now.--that or I have smelt my lunch long enough that I would rather eat than type.....
Photo update to come soon.....
( :
Thank you for all the kind support and prayers. We have an amazing support system which makes these transitional times in our lives so much easier.
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